Surprising the future. A brief history of predictions. Kreveld M. Van

Throughout its history, humanity tried to look into the future and find out what was waiting ahead: many peoples developed complex prediction systems, trusted in signs and prophecies. Positivist science inflicted a crushing blow to mysticism. But today, scientists with optimism look at the opportunity to make accurate forecasts, and it is useful to recall what path the ancient fortune -telling to modern computer technologies has been traveled. “Surprising the future” is a fascinating study of one of the most mysterious and at the same time characteristic human properties.

How did the ancient Greeks interpreted dreams, and the Assyrians - heavenly phenomena? What does military teachings and numerology have in common? How did Isaac Newton look in the Bible indications of the exact date of the end of the world? This is stated by Martin Van Creleg, an Israeli military historian and theorist of strategy, Honored Professor of the University of Jewish in Jerusalem.